


Second Chances

by Lokidog



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-10-07 03:20:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10351194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokidog/pseuds/Lokidog
Summary: Spoilers: Major for "2010"Summary: Daniel and Jack wish things could be different.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Yuma, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [Stargatefan.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Stargatefan.com). To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [StargateFan Archive Collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/StargateFan_Archive_Collection).

Second Chances

##  Second Chances

##### Written by Nancy Richardson   
Comments? Write to us at [nancy_felix@telus.net](mailto:nancy_felix@telus.net)

  * SPOILERS : Major for 2010 
  * Daniel and Jack wish things could be different. 
  * PG [A] 



* * *

The Year 2010

Part 1 

Dr. Daniel Jackson perused the dinner menu as he waited for his companions, Dr. Samantha Carter, Dr. Janet Fraiser, and Teal'c, to arrive. He tried to concentrate on the menu items but his mind was preoccupied trying to rationalize the absence of Jack O'Neill. Daniel had been looking forward to this day, the tenth anniversary of the Earth-Aschen Alliance. His eager anticipation had nothing to do with receiving recognition, and it certainly had nothing to do with listening to Kinsey extol his own virtues. Kinsey's claim that SG-1's first contact with the Aschen enabled him to forge this great alliance almost made him burst out laughing at the ceremony. Either 

that or throw up. No, Daniel's reason to attend the ceremony was to see his friends again, and especially Jack. The fact that Jack did not show up had surprised and upset him; their gradual estrangement from each other hurt deeper than he cared to admit. This day was supposed to be his opportunity for reconciliation, to get their friendship back on track. <Damn you Jack. It wasn't supposed to be like this.>

"Daniel Jackson."

Startled, Daniel looked up from the forgotten menu to see Teal'c seated across from him.

"Teal'c, um-when did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago. Is the menu that interesting, Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel smiled and replied, "Uh-no, not really. I was thinking about…something else."

"I, too, am disappointed at O'Neill's absence. I have not seen my old friend in a long time."

"Never could hide much from you, Teal'c," Daniel admitted ruefully. "I know he hates this alliance but I can't believe he didn't come to see us."

"Perhaps he felt we would not welcome his presence," Teal'c observed.

"God, I hope that's not what he feels," Daniel said, his eyes widening in concern. He was about to say something else when movement at the front of the restaurant distracted him and he announced, "Sam and Janet just came in.. Ah, they're looking rather serious." 

Teal'c turned and replied, "Indeed, I have not seen that expression on either of them for a very long time."

****************************

Jack O'Neill opened his desk drawer and withdrew the small gold-embossed card. He opened it slowly. He knew the enclosed words by heart; he had read them often enough. It was his official 

invitation to the tenth anniversary of the Earth-Aschen Alliance. It had been delivered four months ago by two Air Force personnel in full military dress. He smiled at the memory of the two young officers, uncomfortably hot in their starched dress blues, trying in vain to ignore the mosquitoes buzzing around their heads. Their reaction to the "legendary Colonel O'Neill", sporting a heavy growth of beard and wielding an axe, was even more amusing. They couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Jack looked at his calendar; the anniversary was tomorrow. "Big surprise, Jack. The dates have been ingrained on your mind for four months," he chastised. "Yeah well, party without me guys," he muttered, ripping the invitation into pieces. "Stupid excuse for a party anyway." <Yeah, but it's your excuse to see Daniel, Carter and Teal'c again. Oh, they'd be real pleased to see you, wouldn't they? They know where I am. If they want to see me they can come here. 

What are you afraid of Jack? That you were wrong and everyone else was right?> Jack engaged in his mental battle of wills. It was a fruitless battle; he always won and he always lost.

Jack went into the kitchen to prepare a fresh pot of coffee. He planned to fill his thermos and take the boat out to check on the beaver dam he'd been keeping an eye on. Take his mind off politics, celebrations, and absent friends. He still had some coffee left that he had ground in the morning. Years ago, Daniel had gotten him into the habit of buying fresh beans after gagging, somewhat over-dramatically Jack thought, on the instant coffee he normally bought. Jack chuckled at the memory. Of course, Daniel was right. Jack ran out of beans one time and resorted to instant. Damn near choked. "Bloody geek was always right," he murmured. <Geek. Right. Daniel is about as much of a geek as I'm a ballerina.> Jack wished that annoying "geek" was here right now. "You know what they say about wishes, Jack," he grumbled, banishing thoughts of Daniel from his mind.

************************************

Daniel stared at his plate, absorbing the horrific news that Sam and Janet had just delivered; the systematic annihilation of the human race at the hands of the Aschen. Mass sterilization. Slow and painless, as Sam had said, but genocide nonetheless. Worse, there was no one they could tell; no one to ask for help. <God, Jack. You were right all along.>

The four friends sat in silent disbelief.

'God, what have we done?' Sam said. 'This morning we were celebrating.'

'Now I wish we could take it all back,' Daniel lamented.

'Will there be anything else?' the waitress asked as she stepped up to their table.

'Apparently not,' Daniel replied dryly.

Sam looked at Daniel. Something he said triggered a memory and a spark of hope flashed in her eyes.

'Maybe we can,' she said earnestly. 'Take it back.'

'How?' Daniel asked.

'General Hammond showed us,' she replied enigmatically.

Understanding shone in Daniel's eyes as he said, 'He left us a note.'

Janet looked puzzled and Sam explained their impromptu mission back in time to 1969. Quickly she explained that they could do what had been done before; send a message back in time, warning themselves not to ally with the Aschen. With access to the Aschen computer Sam was 

confident that she could accurately predict the next solar flare that would enable them to accomplish the leap back in time.

"It's conceivable that everything that has happened to us in the last ten years may never happen," Janet said. She looked at Sam. "You and Joe may never meet, and Teal'c, you may never go back to Chulak."

Sam had already considered the scenario; it was never far from her mind. She looked levelly at Janet. "I love Joe. If we are meant to be together, we will be," she said pragmatically.

"And I will return to Chulak," Teal'c stated.

Janet nodded and looked at Daniel. "Daniel?"

"Me? Well, the way I see it," he said, a slow smile spreading across his face, "I'll get my tarnished reputation back, my allergies, total anonymity, and Jack driving me crazy every chance he gets. How could I possibly turn that down?" 

"And I won't feel like a dinosaur in the field of medicine anymore," Janet smiled. "But, it's one thing to change our own lives," Janet said solemnly. 'We are considering changing the lives of the entire human race on Earth. Do we have that right?' 

'If we don't, then we will live to see the end of the entire human race on Earth,' Sam replied without hesitation.

"But do we have the right to alter the future of the Aschen?" Daniel asked, knowing full well his own thoughts but playing devil's advocate nonetheless.

The four friends looked at each other and saw only mutual agreement. Their future versus the Aschen future. There was no question. No dilemma.

"Jack should be here," Daniel said, voicing everyone's thoughts. "We need his help."

"Do you think he'd come?" Janet asked.

"How could he not come?" Daniel replied. 

"I don't know. He was pretty angry with us. We all voted against him on the Aschen proposal," Sam said.

"Yes, so at the very least, he'll come just to say 'I told you so.'"

"When was the last time you saw Colonel O'Neill, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

Daniel stared blankly at Teal'c before ducking his head. "At General Hammond's funeral," he replied flatly.

"That was six years ago! My God, you haven't seen him in six years?" Sam asked incredulously.

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "He never invited me to his cabin."

"But six years, Daniel," Sam lamented.

"You and O'Neill are best friends, Daniel Jackson."

"Were…Teal'c. We…I don't know…drifted apart."

"Men," Janet muttered.

"Excuse me?" Daniel asked as both he and Teal'c raised their eyebrows.

"You can never talk about what's really bothering you. You and Colonel O'Neill were always jumping from one crisis to another. Allowing your feelings to eat each other up."

"We did not," Daniel protested. "Jack and I talked. It sometimes took awhile but we got there in the end." <Didn't we, Jack?>

"Until the Aschen," Teal'c observed.

Daniel looked traitorously at Teal'c but his eyes softened at the Jaffa's obvious concern and he sighed, "Until the Aschen." <Oh hell, Jack. How did we let this happen?>

"Sam, maybe you should try to talk to the Colonel," Janet suggested.

"Yes, he was always trying to get you to his cabin," Daniel prodded. "Um, I didn't mean that the way it sounded, Sam," he added hastily.

"It's all right, Daniel. But I don't think he'd be too happy to see me, either," Sam admitted.

"Of course he will," Daniel insisted.

"You will enjoy the fishing very much," Teal'c promised.

Sam looked suspiciously at Teal'c and he looked at Daniel, "Too much?" he asked.

"Too much," Daniel smiled. "But seriously, Sam. I think you've got the best shot. Tell him we need him."

"Okay, I'll go," she relented. <But I'm not looking forward to it.>

Part 2

What went wrong? Jack had spent many long hours over the years pondering the question. How did things get so fucked up between him and Daniel and the rest of SG-1? Yes, he opposed the alliance with the Aschen, and yes, his was the only dissenting voice. Daniel however, usually opposed anything he suggested so that was nothing new. No, that's not entirely true. He didn't outright reject his ideas, he just asked questions; a lot of questions. Images flashed in his mind. Daniel challenging him on this, arguing about that. 

Right from day one and Jack had thrived on it.

"Kept me on my toes, Danny," he muttered.

The bitter truth was Jack's feelings were hurt and his ego damaged. No one, absolutely no one, had agreed with him. They were all blinded by the light at the end of the tunnel. The end of the Goa'uld threat. The end of blood, pain, misery, and death. A chance for their sacrifices to finally be made public. Their achievements to be acknowledged and appreciated. Who wouldn't want that?

"Apparently, just me," Jack said, tossing a rock into the lake. Years went by without a peep from any of them. Now, they wanted his help. Too damn bad.

"My conscience is clear," he said throwing another rock. 

Sam's image flashed in his mind. It had been good to see her again. She looked good. Hell, she looked great. <They probably all took that bloody anti-aging vaccine,> Jack thought uncharitably as he rubbed his aching shoulder. He was one of the first humans to be offered the vaccine. A sign of good faith and no hard feelings. 'Bullshit' was Jack's response. No way in hell did he want to live twice as long in an Aschen world. He didn't trust them as far as he could spit but he couldn't explain why. Daniel's belief that Jack was being obstinate due to his forced retirement certainly hadn't helped matters. Everyone happily got on with their lives, embracing the Aschen with open arms. Even Carter, who always stuck by him, even when he was wrong, left him flailing in the wind on this one. Then along came Prince "Joe" Charming, and it had been goodbye Colonel. Not that there had ever been anything between them. At one time, Jack thought there might have been something but that had only been fatigue and loneliness.

Jack's mind drifted back to Sam's visit. Even after all these years she still regarded him with professional detachment. To her, he would always be Colonel or Sir. He shook his head sadly.

"Not that I welcomed her with open arms, Danny." This last remark was directed at a squirrel, watching Jack curiously and waiting patiently for his next nut. Jack obliged, and smiled as the small creature reached eagerly for the offered treat.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way, you know," Jack announced. The squirrel stopped its nibbling as if pondering Jack's statement.

"No, that's okay. You carry on," Jack instructed. "No, it wasn't supposed to be like this at all," Jack sighed, gazing out at the lake. Jack's envisioned retirement had consisted of this cabin but

in his version, they were all there: Daniel, Carter, Teal'c, Janet and Cassie, and General Hammond. Not all at the same time, of course, except on special occasions. Jack glanced back at the cabin, his eyes resting on the two large wooden chairs. He couldn't remember the last time someone had sat there. Daniel, maybe...a long time ago. Jack turned back to the lake and threw another pebble.

"Dr. Daniel Jackson. Daniel," he said, tossing another pebble. "Danny…Danny boy… Plant boy…Space monkey." Each name punctuated by a soft plop in the water. Jack's vision blurred and he swiped angrily at the offending tears. His friend, Daniel. Best friend. At one time, Jack would have said soul mate. Daniel often infuriated and frustrated him but he was never boring, and he was always there to watch his back. He had envisioned Daniel visiting often and staying for prolonged periods. Maybe even permanently.

"Son of a bitch," Jack cursed loudly.

The squirrel dropped its nut and scurried away.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. It's just that humankind is about to become extinct and I'm standing here feeling sorry for myself." Jack spread the bowl of nuts on the ground. "Eat up,

Danny. If all goes well, the next time I see you I'll introduce you to your namesake. You'll like him; he's a bit nuts."

Part 3

"I can't believe he said 'no'," Daniel said. <Damn it, I should have stayed in touch. What the hell was I thinking?>

"In fact, he was more concerned with whether or not to get a dog," Sam explained. 

"Well, that sounds like something Jack would say, but he wasn't serious," Daniel insisted.

"You weren't there, Daniel. He was quite adamant, " Sam declared. "I'm afraid we're on our own. Can we do it?"

"It appears we have little choice," Teal'c stated somberly.

Accepting their challenge, Teal'c returned to Chulak to make his preparations. Daniel and Sam, posing as tourists, joined a guided tour of the SGC facility at Cheyenne Mountain, to scout out a GDO and anything else that could aid them in achieving their objective.

"I like your hat," Sam whispered, gesturing towards Daniel's black fedora.

"Thanks," Daniel smiled. "Jack would probably call me a dickhead."

"Daniel!" Sam said shocked.

"No, I don't mean that type of, you know, I mean like a private detective," Daniel hastily explained.

"Oh," Sam blushed slightly. "Well, you look very dapper."

It was Daniel's turn to blush as he accepted the compliment. "Sam," he said suddenly, "look at that."

They paused before a colour poster of SG-1; the four team members and General Hammond, in all their glory. "I can't believe it,' he said softly.

"Well, the woman obviously has no taste," Sam said flatly.

"Excuse me?"

"The tour guide. I mean, if SG-1 isn't her favourite team, she has no taste."

"Ah, yes, that goes without question," Daniel agreed. "But what I meant was, I can't believe we let this happen."

"Daniel, we couldn't predict this," Sam said fervently. "The Goa'uld were killing us. The Aschen were in the right place at the right time; we needed them. They hid their motives from everyone."

<Not everyone, right, Jack?>

Daniel looked down at Sam, a benign smile on his face.

"You're not talking about that either," she deduced.

"No." Daniel looked back at the poster, his eyes fixed on SG-1's Colonel Jack O'Neill. "I can't believe I lost touch," he said softly.

"It takes two, Daniel," Sam said gently.

"Why doesn't that make me feel better?"

"Let's go, Daniel," Sam urged, anxious to drag her friend out of his melancholy. "We have to blend in."

'And we're walking!' chirped the tour guide.

"Coming," Daniel replied, shuddering at the guide's bubbly voice, but reluctant to take his eyes off the picture, his eyes drawn to the image of him and Jack seated side by side. <God, I miss those days. As awful as they sometimes were, my life had purpose. I think I finally know how you feel, Jack. Too little, too late. But maybe…just maybe…>

"Daniel," Sam whispered, tugging a little more insistently on his arm.

"Sorry, I'm coming."

He followed Sam and an echoing, 'and we're walking' quickly grabbed their attention. They stared silently at the passing figure of Jack O'Neill. Daniel's features remained impassive but he couldn't stop the warm rush in his soul, or the relief that shone in his eyes. <I knew you couldn't stay away, Jack.>

***************************** 

Daniel and Sam finally strayed from their tour and joined Jack. Judging by the array of paraphernalia and rough sketches in front of him, their old commander had been busy. Daniel found it difficult to look at Jack. There was so much he wanted to say but this wasn't the time. It could wait. Jack was here to help them and that's what mattered. Daniel sat down, all too aware of Jack's assessing gaze of his headgear.

'So, when did you decide against getting a dog?' Sam asked, smiling.

'I'm still thinking about it,' Jack replied dryly before getting down to business. Their mission was possible; they had the firepower and the manpower. Sam would provide them with the window of opportunity. Their one stumbling block was the GDO. The one in Jack's hands was a replica; the real one was on the desk of President Kinsey in the Oval Office. They couldn't succeed without it and there was only one person who could easily obtain access; Sam's ambassador husband. 

'He'll do it. I know he will.' Sam said confidently.

Part 4

Daniel showed up early for the final strategy meeting, but not as early as Jack. Daniel sat down warily; the two men had barely said hello since Jack's impromptu arrival. 

"Hi," Daniel said as he sat down.

"You're early," Jack commented.

"So are you."

"You're never early."

"Some things change," Daniel shrugged.

The words weren't so much defiant as resigned and Jack felt a twinge in his gut. "Yeah," he replied softly. "Well, you're looking good, not that that's a change or anything," he added hastily.

Daniel smiled. "Thank you. You look good, too."

"Where's your hat?" Jack asked, motioning to Daniel's head.

"Left it at the hotel."

"Too bad. It looked good on you."

"Really?" Daniel asked, surprised.

"What, did you think I'd call you dickhead, or something?"

"So, you did think about it," Daniel said in mock accusation.

"Yeah, but only in a good way," Jack replied defensively.

"Ri-ght," Daniel drawled good-naturedly. "So, how's retirement?"

"It has its moments," Jack said, sipping his beer.

"Your most pressing decision is whether or not to get a dog?" Daniel asked, remembering Sam's words.

"I've got Danny to consider," Jack said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Danny?" 

"My pet squirrel."

"Squirrel. You have a…pet squirrel," Daniel reiterated.

"Well, he's not really a pet. Danny's wild but we hang out."

"I see. And you call him Danny because…" Daniel asked raising his eyebrows.

"He reminds me of you," Jack stated.

"Reminds you of me," Daniel repeated softly. "Okay, I'll probably regret this but, in what way?"

"He likes to chatter and hoard things," Jack said grinning.

"Of course. Well, the resemblance is uncanny," Daniel said trying to sound indignant but secretly pleased that Jack thought about him enough to name an animal after him. "Um…you couldn't befriend anything else like a…I don't know… a wolf or an eagle?"

"Well, there is this loon I'm rather fond of," Jack said contemplatively.

"A loon? Yes, well, squirrels are very industrious characters," Daniel said seriously.

"I thought you'd agree. So, what about you?" Jack asked, taking another drink.

"Me?" 

"Yeah, did you name anything after me?"

"Um…well, actually…yes," Daniel replied hesitantly, colouring slightly.

"You didn't get a snake, did you?" Jack asked carefully, his eyes narrowing.

"No, no snakes," Daniel said slowly, examining his fingernails.

"Something cute and cuddly, right?" 

Daniel looked up, wide-eyed and innocent. "Actually, it's a plant."

"A plant!" Jack exclaimed. "You named a plant after me?" he asked indignantly.

"Not so much a plant, as a…cactus," Daniel declared.

"A cactus? Damnit, Daniel! That's the best you could do?"

"Hey, it's a very nice cactus," Daniel said defensively. "Jack has lovely blooms…when he's in the mood."

"I don't believe this," Jack said rubbing his forehead. "And so this…cactus, reminds you of me how, exactly?"

"Prickly and unpredictable," Daniel admitted, unable to suppress a grin.

"For crying out loud! At least Danny's cute and furry," Jack said exasperated.

"Jack has his good points. He's clean, self-sufficient, and a good listener." <Just a little hard to get close to sometimes.>

"All fine qualities," Jack relented graciously.

Jack eyed his companion and suddenly shook his head, grinning. "Damn, I haven't talked this much in years. I've missed you, Daniel."

"Yeah, me too," Daniel said subdued. 

Daniel absently played with his silverware before asking quietly, "Why didn't I ever hear from you?"

Jack took a sip of his beer. "I don't know. Guess I thought you'd come to see me."

"You never invited me. Not after that last time," Daniel accused, fixing Jack with his blue gaze.

"The door is always open for you, Daniel," Jack said simply.

"You could've asked me, Jack," Daniel said bitterly.

"I could've," Jack conceded quietly, "but I was afraid you'd say no."

Daniel stared at his friend, amazed at how things had got so messed up. "God, we're quite the pair, aren't we?"

"We always did make a good team," Jack said seriously.

Daniel nodded and smiled sadly. "Yeah."

"I hear you're teaching again," Jack said, changing the subject.

"Yes, I am. The lecture halls are always full. It's quite a change."

"So they should be. That must make you feel good."

"Maybe. Doesn't make much difference now as we're about to turn back the clock."

"If all goes well," Jack amended.

"And if it doesn't-"

"We'll be dead."

"Right. So, it still won't matter," Daniel said.

"Right. So, Daniel, what's in this for you?"

Daniel looked sharply at Jack, hurt by the selfish implication, but the weary look in Jack's eyes softened the words. 

"You mean, what's my purely egoistical motive for wishing to eradicate the last decade?"

"My words exactly," Jack grinned. 

Daniel looked down at his hands and replied, "To get back what I lost."

"Which is?" Jack asked quietly.

Daniel looked up, and said without hesitation, "You."

Jack stared, mesmerized by the intense blue eyes across from him. Every nerve was tingling and his stomach was doing flip-flops. He wanted to leap across the table and crush Daniel in a bear hug. Instead, he swallowed hard and looked away.

Daniel smiled to himself; he had seen the look on Jack's face.

"And you?" Daniel asked.

Jack forced his gaze back to Daniel. "To make things right between us," he answered softly.

Daniel stared into the much-missed, much-loved, brown eyes. "Those are two damn good reasons," he said, after a lengthy pause.

"Can't think of any better ones."

"Egoistically-speaking, of course."

"Of course," Jack agreed.

Daniel held up his glass and Jack did the same. "Here's to second chances," Daniel 

"You celebrating without us?" Sam admonished as she and Janet approached the table.

"Just catching up, Carter," Jack explained, smiling at Daniel before swallowing his 'toast'.

The Year 2000

Epilogue

The Stargate at SGC began to engage unexpectedly. The klaxons blared in warning.

"Incoming traveller," announced the sergeant.

"Who is it?" General Hammond inquired.

"It's…SG-1, sir," he answered, bewildered.

"Hello?" Jack O'Neill replied as he and the rest of SG-1 curiously gathered around. All eyebrows rose when a crumpled piece of paper popped out of the event horizon and landed on the ramp. Jack was the first in the gateroom, quickly followed by the others. He retrieved the paper, checking it back and front.

'Well?' Daniel asked.

'You tell me,' Jack said, passing the paper to Daniel.

Daniel took the paper and read aloud, 'Under no circumstances go to P4C 970, Colonel Jack O'Neill. And it looks like your handwriting.'

'It is my handwriting,' Jack said, taking the note back, 'and it's my signature.'

'Though you sent no such note,' Teal'c stated.

'Nope.'

'Sir, may I?' Janet asked reaching for the note. 'It looks like blood, sir,' she said to Hammond.

'Have it analyzed.'

General Hammond, unwilling to take any chances, raised his voice, 'I want P4C 970 removed from the dialing computer, immediately. Dismissed.'

'I wonder why you sent it?' Sam asked. 'I wonder when?' she added.

'Yeah, you gotta wonder,' Jack said thoughtfully.

********************** 

Daniel hurried after Dr. Fraiser and stopped her in the hallway.

"Janet, can I see that note," he asked. 

Janet handed over the note and Daniel studied it. It was definitely Jack's writing and it was neat. It wasn't written in a hurry but the urgency of the words was unmistakable. The bloodstains caused the hairs on Daniel's neck to rise and he suppressed a shudder. He handed the note back to Janet with a mumbled 'thank you'.

****************************

Jack left General Hammond's office and noticed Daniel in the observation room. His friend looked pensive, his right arm wrapped tightly around his middle, the other holding his chin up as he chewed thoughtfully at his bottom lip.

"Daniel, something wrong?"

Daniel turned to face Jack. "That message from the future."

"Yeah, it sounded like something you'd write. You'd think I would've at least included a lottery number or football score," he said lightly.

"Dr. Fraiser confirmed the bloodstains were yours," Daniel said softly.

"Yeah, she told me. Well, " Jack said, draping his arm across his friend's shoulders, "whatever happened, Daniel, it's not going to happen."

A small smile graced Daniel's features and he nodded. "I guess there's no point in dwelling on something that's not going to happen."

"Exactly. We have enough real stuff to worry about," Jack said, absently squeezing Daniel's shoulder.

"Are you doing anything tonight, Jack?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd have an old friend over for dinner."

"Oh," Daniel said, swallowing his disappointment. "That'll be nice."

"I think so," Jack agreed. "So, do you want beef or chicken?" 

Daniel glanced sideways at Jack and saw the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Bastard," Daniel chuckled softly.

"Come on, let's go," he said, clapping him on the back. "Actually, why don't we swing by your place, you can grab some stuff, and bunk at my place tonight. It's gonna be a beautiful night for stargazing. It'll be like old times."

"I'd like that."

"Great, so beef or chicken?"

"Fish." Daniel said decisively.

"Fish? I didn't think you liked fish."

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't know," Jack said frowning.

"I love fish," Daniel said.

"Well shit, that settles it then. To hell with Carter. Next time we have a few days off, it's just you and me, a cabin and a lake," Jack said eagerly.

"Teal'c said you don't have any fish."

"Hey, they're there. Teal'c was just mad because the bugs liked him. Seriously, they're this big," he explained, holding out his hands.

"The bugs?" Daniel said, horrified.

"No, the fish, you dweeb," Jack laughed, playfully swatting Daniel on the head. "Come on, we've got fish to buy."

"And cake?" Daniel asked hopefully.

"Okay, but not chocolate."

"But Jack-"

"No," Jack said firmly, "we'll be up on the roof all night."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"It is when we have to be at work at 0600," Jack explained patiently.

"Oh, I get your point," Daniel frowned.

"I thought you would," Jack smiled, enjoying the pleasure of his friend's company and wondering why in the hell it had been so long since he had Daniel over for dinner. <Time to get things back on track,> he thought as he followed Daniel out the door.

**The End**

  


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> Dialogue from the episode is encased within single quotation marks. Warmest thanks to Jmas for making this a  
> better story. Feedback appreciated.

* * *

  


>   
> © July 17, 2001 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp.  
> The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters  
> who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names,   
> titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television,   
> Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd.   
> Partnership.  
> This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and   
> solely meant for entertainment.   
> All other characters, the story idea and the story itself   
> are the sole property of the author.   
> 

* * *

  



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